By Tony Adibe
The age-long trouble engulfing the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State resurfaced in a rather dangerous way when as key leaders and notable stakeholders of the party in the state stayed away from the APC presidential campaign rally that took place in Enugu.
NewsBits reports that among the leaders of the party who boycotted the event in which the presidential standard bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was physically present, included Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Geoffrey Onyeama, former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani, former Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sullivan Chime, and former Secretary to the Government of Enugu State, Chief Onyemuche Nnamani.
Yet, some other major stakeholders of APC in the state who steered clear from the rally were the former State chairman of the party, Barrister Ben Nwoye, the Director General, Voice of Nigeria (VON) Chief Osita Okechukwu, Senator Ayogu Eze, erstwhile Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Chief Eugene Udo, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Aide, Dame Juliet Ibekaku-Nwangwu and others.
NewsBits recalls that although the angry leaders of the party had earlier in the day welcomed Asiwaju Tinubu at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, they shunned the rally held at the popular Michael Okpara Square in the Independence Layout Enugu.
But while Asiwaju Tinubu and his convoy drove to the Okpara Square where he addressed a huge crowd, the angry party leaders in Enugu State drove to the residence of former Governor Sullivan Chime, which is a walking distance from the venue of the rally. Later, the agrieved leaders briefed journalists.
According to the leaders, their absence from the presidential rally was to “send a clear signal to the national leadership of the APC” that something urgently must be done over the crisis in the Enugu State chapter of the party.
They hauled blames at the Governor of Imo State, who is also Coordinator of the APC presidential Campaign Council in the Southeast zone of Nigeria, Senator Hope Uzodinma for purportedly “hijacking the APC structure in Enugu State, thereby disorganizing the party.”
NewsBits reports that all the speakers, who included Chime, Nnamani and Odoh, insisted that they were not privy to all the preparations and programme for the rally that was “held in our own Enugu State.”
However, the angry leaders described Tinubu as a good candidate, assuring that they would work for his victory in the presidential election. Specifically, Chime said: “we received our presidential candidate at the Airport. We believe in him; he is the best.
“However, we are not at Okpara Square because of the internal issues we have in Enugu within the party. It has been there, and this is because sometime in October 2021, a non-member was foisted on us after the botched State Party Congress as a so-called chairman.
“The party leaders went to Abuja, complained but nobody took them seriously, the issues continued. So, we have to distance ourselves from the local chapter of the party. After today, we expect that the party will do the right thing.”
On the party’s candidate, Chime said, “we will ensure that he gets more than the required 25 per cent. Enugu must be counted.
“Today’s event is just a rally; the major thing is election, and we are working hard to see to the victory of the party.”
Also, Senator Nnamani stated: “Tinubu is the candidate of the party and all loyal party members will support and work for his victory.”
Nnamani, however, disclosed that “we are not aware of the preparations for this rally. That is why we did not want to go and create a scene there. The rally was pretty much organized from outside Enugu.”
Tinubu had at the rally assured that he would make Igboland an industrial hub.
He came hard on the successive governments over their failure to construct the 2nd Niger Bridge, which he said would be commissioned soon having been completed by the APC administration. Asiwaju Tinubu urged Ndigbo to collect their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC), saying, “it is their power and gold mine”.
